Major Nelson On March NPD: “This Is a Marathon Not a Sprint,” We Know What “We Need To Do”

As NPD results for March 2014 were released, Microsoft’s Larry Hryb, also known as Major Nelson on reddit and Twitter, shared his thoughts on the PS4 lead in March.

“Congrats to Sony,” said Major Nelson in a thread on reddit, “As I’ve mentioned before, this is a marathon not a sprint and we know what we need to do.”

When one user commented on how the thread was based on the sales of Xbox platform and there was no mention of Sony. Major Nelson replied: “Well, Sony is an obvious competitor and should be recognized for what they’ve done. It’s the proper thing to do.”

He also seemed to be happy over the decision of Phil Spencer leading as the Head of Xbox.

If you watch the interview I did with Phil – he was pretty clear on what we need to do and that focus on games.

Phil is a great guy and I a really happy he is “Head Of Xbox”

Earlier, Major Nelson also talked about their upcoming plans for the Xbox One, reaffirming the users that they are working hard to bring new and exciting features to the Xbox One.

What do you think about the comments made by Major Nelson? Let us know in the comments below.

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Guess what? 1080p/60fps is perfectly attainable on sub-par hardware! How do you think PC gamers have been playing at that level for the past few years? They turn down the graphics…limit shadows, use lower resolution textures, kill AA, and limit the number of polygons rendered.

So, yes, you WILL see 1080p/60fps games on your Xbox One. BUT, the same game WILL ALWAYS look better on a PS4. No firmware upgrade is going to magically add GPU power to the system, nor with “The Cloud ™” solve the gap in horsepower. Face facts, fanboi, you bought an inferior system…and one that will have (like the last 2 generations) less exclusive games. Don’t feel bad…you can always go trade in your Xbox at Gamestop for credit when you finally wake up to reality.

You are flat out wrong

Yoshida stated that they based their messaging of it from the Xbone’s policies, not the blunder itself. Hence the shanking you got at E3.

It’s also well known that Sony wanted to bundle the camera in if they could do so while comfortable hitting that $399 price point. They couldn’t, so they didn’t. I’m glad.

sonyntendosteam

I think I heard that line before……. from Sony!

You are flat out wrong

Not my tears, bro. 🙂

CrtlAltDelete

This meme is more effective when they sound butt hurt. Try again.

Hates bad writers.

I wasn’t trolling, this moron truly is just a moron. He blames Microsoft for practically everything when A. We haven’t had an absence of good games, so why is he bitching? And B. The lack of good games compared to say the early 2000’s is due to the bubble created by the FPS market. Very similar tactic that caused the economy to crash, and it’s why this industry as a whole is going down. And again, that doesn’t mean there’s isn’t going to be good games, just fewer. At which point the other moron is going to step in and tell you it’s Microsoft’s fault. Enjoy your evening.

Gamez Rule

“This Is a Marathon Not a Sprint” = Sony past PS3 quote = Deja Vu☺

PS4 is winning the console war. And here’s why.

Microsoft doesn’t have any official numbers for Xbone after they gave 3 million sales in January. Yet Sony has done, so PS4 is winning because there is nothing official to compare it to. Now ask yourself this… WHY has MS been completely silent about Xbone sales for the entire year so far to date? Hmm

Another thing that people are not mentioning in gaming news is that Xbone doesn’t have a single exclusive AAA game coming in the next Four months? ( unless that’s incorrect ) And lets not forget about Titanfall on Xbone which was the game to save the day? Well Microsoft has been completely silent on its sales, WHY is that?

But here’s the big kick in the nuts for MS.. Sonys PS4 outsold Xbone in their best market? And that took place even after MS done the free bundling and unofficial price cuts on it’s console.

jnemesh

Not to mention that they are REALLY hanging their hat on “Halo” and “Gears of War”. Both good franchises…but does ANYONE really care about Halo since 343 Studios picked up the IP? Bungee is going to knock it out of the PARK with “Destiny”…I personally don’t need to wait for a review to know that “Halo 5” is going to be no better than ODST or Reach! We already know what 343 can do with the property, and a shiny new coat of paint on an old junker isn’t going to get me to buy into an underpowered console.

Gamez Rule

Well my Halo days are finished ( been there and done that ) more than once LOL. Gears is….well gears LOL, so really IMO both Halo and Gears offers nothing new worth getting a console for.

PS4 is allowing new IPs and ideas between platforms and IMO that’s worth a console buy.

jnemesh

For me, it just came down to one thing…which console plays games better? The PS4 has CONSISTENTLY shown better performance on games that are shipping for both platforms. Since 90% of the games this gen (if not more) are going to be multi-platform, it made more sense for me to buy the PS4. I DID look at the lineup for “exclusive” titles (I put exclusive in quotes because often they eventually make their way to the “other” console, given time)…and Sony has FAR more titles announced that are exclusive than Microsoft does. Additionally, Sony has gone out of their way to make indie developers feel welcomed and VALUED on their platform…and the result of that is that more developers are moving to Sony’s console! I also get free games for my PS3 AND my PS4 with my PS+ account.

Microsoft, on the other hand, has a more expensive, lower performing console…and they still continue to insist on shoving technology down our throats that no one wants (Kinect), and that most developers are not making games for. They continue to push “Metro” in their UI, they continue to lock apps behind their XBL paywall, and they continue to push TV integration (with cable TV, which I am not interested in) over gaming functionality. Now they are pushing the idea of running full Windows apps on the Xbox! Great! Just what I need…let me fire up Office on my 64″ TV!

No, it’s clear that one company “gets” gamers and is giving the public what they want, and one company doesn’t, and wants to force gamers into THEIR vision of what “next gen” should be like!

Gamez Rule

Well stated

jnemesh

thanks!

Nettrick Nowan

My opinion as of right now–Xbox One is going to lose the console war. The one thing that might save the system, oddly enough, is the Kinect, that piece of junk that I have never connected. If Microsoft develops more for the Kinect like the IllumiRoom, like that heart monitoring horror game I keep hearing about, that might save it. The Kinect is the only thing that truly sets the One apart from the PS4 now. And, since the console itself is so underpowered (comparatively), Microsoft should focus on what the PS4 does not do as well as the One and embellish/broaden what it has to offer.

datdude

Your statement implies that Microsoft has won a console war previously, when in fact they have never won a generation. Sony have, Nintendo have, Microsoft hasn’t been around as long, granted, but they still haven’t won a gen.

Nettrick Nowan

Whoa, whoa!! Not trying to be clever here–but I don’t see where I gave that impression. I’m not addressing any previous wars, only this one. Where exactly did I imply that? If you can point it out, please do. And if I did, it was not my intention.

datdude

You said in your opinion xbone is going to lose the console war. And my point was how is that different from any other generation they’ve participated in? It’s par for the course, as they have yet to win any generation.

Somehow, I’m not convinced that they do. Microsoft may have done a 180-degree turn on the DRM, which sorta helped them gain back some ground, but that’s just the problem–they’re merely being reactive to Sony right now.

datdude

They have no idea what to do. Instead of keeping their mouths shut and focusing on games they’re trumpeting clouuddzzz, directx, and number of units sold to retailers, not consumers, retailers. And all those units are sitting on store shelves, hence the deep discounts so soon after launch and free titanfall giveaways from said retailers. Oh, Microsoft….will you never learn?

Who knows? Maybe they’d learn a thing or three this generation, then apply them in the following one. Sony, meanwhile, would get arrogant (if they win the “console war”, that is), and mess it up in PlayStation 5.

Remember how Sony could seem to do no wrong during the PS2 era and Microsoft was scrambling with the original Xbox? Notice what happened in the following generation–Sony kept shooting itself in the foot (i.e. the PS3 price), while Microsoft did many things right (the 360 was cheaper, first to market, targeted the core gamers first, etc).

I think this advantage in the “console war” comes in cycles, so expect the one behind to gain ground, while the one ahead to lose some.

You are flat out wrong

“We know what we need to do”

Quit the console industry?

NARDDAWG TGMTEL

troll alert

You are flat out wrong

Sh*tbox Done. 🙂

NARDDAWG TGMTEL

oh this pic is too much for Microsoft, game over man, don’t have any games on ps4, probably used Windows Paint for this awesome preschool art

You are flat out wrong

Wow, you sure are perceptive.

PS4 has more games than Xbone. 🙂

NARDDAWG TGMTEL

not TitanFall

You are flat out wrong

Oh no! Not an unfinished MP-only EA game!

The less EA turds, the better, thanks!

datdude

I hated the reveal of the xbone. Hated it. The policies were atrocious, and the talking heads for the company were buffoonish and arrogant in their response to gamers concerns. Having said that, I’ve always owned multiple consoles, ps3 and 360 among them. If Sony or Microsoft leave the console business, that would be a huge loss for all gamers, as competition between gaming companies drives prices down and fosters innovation. So please don’t root for failure. Beware what you wish for.

Nettrick Nowan

While I don’t NECESSARILY want either system to go under, Microsoft needs to be, as they used to say, “be taught a lesson.” I’m not happy with my underpowered console or the Kinect. If Microsoft has learned something from this, fine. If not, I could not care any less if they go under. Hubris has destroyed greater than Microsoft–well, this division of it any way.

datdude

Why did you buy an xbone? I own a 360, ps3, and ps4. I bought my 360 first last gen because it had games I had to play, like the first Mass Effect and the first Gears of War. I bought my ps3 later when I saw they started to deliver experiences I wanted to have. Sony cleaned Microsoft’s clock from the middle of the last gen right on up to present day with first party exclusives. And that is why I bought my PS4 first this gen, and maybe the only console I buy this gen, I’m not sure yet. Sony developers simply make the better games, and it’s not even close, in my opinion. The fact the ps4 has the power advantage is a happy bonus, as my mind was made up in 2011 about which console I would buy first. And it was the games that were the clincher in that decision. I may pick up the xbone when they drop the price and deliver a game I need to play. Maybe that game will be Halo, maybe Quantum Break, but at this point I don’t see a game on the horizon that interests me from them. The PS4 on the other hand has all the franchises I care about most, including Uncharted, The Last of Us, Infamous, Gran Turismo, God of War, etc. etc. The multiplatform games look better and have better framerates at this juncture on ps4. The Order is a game I’ve got my eye on, as the elements of it’s story intrigue me. That is what I look for. Sony gives developers, first party and indies alike, the freedom to experiment and give us new experiences. Microsoft just churns out the same ol’ fps stuff year in year out with little new experimentation. Maybe that will change, but I’m not holding my breath for it.

AndrewLB

Did you know that Sony had the exact same intrusive DRM for the PS4 but when they saw the b*tch slapping Microsoft took in the media, they quietly backed up and removed it with that day one update.

And if you liked the PS4 reveal then you are just another sucker who got played. Canned applause and all!

I wont buy either console. The fact that neither has the power to run ALL GAMES at 1080p is just disgusting.

datdude

Suuurrreee they did….here’s some free advice…educate yourself before opening your mouth. When you open your mouth, you let the stupid out. Good luck with that.

You are flat out wrong

Your hilarious little conspiracy theory is totally destroyed by the fact you could play PS4 games no problem without the day one patch.

sonyntendosteam

Then enter STEAMBOX!!!!
Steam cared about PC gaming a million times than M$.

Good riddance of M$ then. They deserve it.

kevin

Good , now get to it cause am looking forward to this GEN.

choujij

I think it’s just more damage control. Enough talk. Bring on the games or go home.

Head Blackman

the same should be said to sony! last i check, there are more AAA titles on the x1 than there is on the ps4

Xtreme Derp

PS4 has the superior version of all console AAA multiplats, more 1080p 60 fps games, The Order, Driveclub, MLB 14: The Show, Deep Down, Lily Bergamo, Uncharted 4, more 1st party games, more dev support including indies, and unannounced 1st party games (Gran Turismo, God of War, etc.) Titanfall 2 will almost certainly be on PS4.

for now. all of that will change soon enough. you know this, just as everyone paying attention to this whole console batter knows this. like it or not, the xbox one was designed for the future. base hardware, dx12, cloud compute and whatever else they decide to through at us. in 1 yrs time from the release of the x1, there will be a massive shift in all of the so called back lash of the x1. but as amazing as the dx12 and the cloud compute sounds, i like the system the way it is even before they add the extra power. the games is what it’s all about and microsoft is surely showing those in abundance and with even more bruce lee/ jet li combos to dish out. enjoy your moment in time sony.

Both Sony and MS have world class coders that will extract every bit of performance out of their consoles with their drivers/APIs/SDKs. The difference is PS4 simply has more powerful hardware to work with, so it will always stay ahead in graphics performance.

The bottom line is even if Xbox had a far more powerful CPU and 10000GB of 10000 GB/s memory, it’s ability to render graphics is STILL limited by the weaker GPU. There’s no getting around the weaker GPU, there’s no free lunch.

If they’re both running at the same resolution the Xbox version will have lower framerate and/or visual effects, or the PS4 hardware isn’t being pushed.

PS4 will have better performing games for the entire generation as it has more powerful hardware, you can’t overcome a hardware gap with better drivers/SDKs. Any game running on Xbox One can be run with better framerate/resolution/visual effects on PS4.

Xbox has memory size and bandwidth bottlenecks, weak GPU and GPGPU, only 16 ROPs, and OS virtualization overhead that all degrade gaming performance. Take your pick.

Xtreme Derp

LOL another dumb as rocks WRONG fanboy dunce.

There is no software MS can write to overcome that gap. We will continue to see PS4 games outperform Xbox the entire generation.

The Order is now easily the best looking next gen game, and PS4 multiplats consistently run better by a significant margin.

Anyone with technical knowledge knew PS4’s game graphics performance would be better for the entire generation as soon as the specs were official. That was well over a year ago. Apparently it’s taking some people a LONG time to come to terms with reality. It’s going to be a very long generation for you.

You are flat out wrong

There are more PS4 games than Xbone games. That’s what’s important, isn’t it?

Head Blackman

indie crap doesn’t count sir. you don’t buy a 400 or 500 system to play indies or free to play games. you buy it for AAA first and 3rd party games

I guess every game on the Xbone announced so far this year doesn’t count either considering they’re all “indie crap” too.

Xtreme Derp

You forgot Soduhh Drinker Pro

Head Blackman

aaaaaww. he wants to chunk out jokes instead of facts. how sweeeeet. but for real! let the real gamers handle this little one. now run along and learn to play game.
bye now 🙂

You are flat out wrong

Wow, that feeling of realisation must have hit you hard. 🙁

datdude

Is that why the most interesting looking game for xbone is Below, an indie title? That is the one title for that console I’m even remotely interested in. That title interests me far more than Titanfall ever did, and seeing as how Sony won March despite Microsoft and retailers giving titanfall away and deeply discounting the xbone, I’m hardly alone.

Head Blackman

but where is the so called power of they system is what the focus is on since the ps4 is a more powerful system than the x1 like your boy Xtreme Derp claims??? i didn’t ask you about sales (thats obvious that the ps4 is winning in sales) im asking you about the so called more powerful system and the game that actually shows it (by graphically beating ryse)?????? where is this so called gddr5 power????

sounds like another emotion engine pipe dream :-

Xtreme Derp

If you’re too stupid to understand the hardware, just stop thinking about it.

datdude

You must be joking. Infamous slaps Ryse up, down, and around the block, all while being a vastly more enjoyable gameplay experience in a completely open cityscape. In addition, have you seen the multiplats on both systems? PS4 easy 1080p and graphically better than the xbone versions, with better framerates. On every single multiplat title. What more do you want to see? And Sony’s vastly superior first party devs haven’t even arrived on the system yet. Over and done, son.

You are flat out wrong

Infamous.

Plus it doesn’t have CryEngine 4 bailing it out like Cevat Yerli’s turd Ryse.

Xtreme Derp

Good luck to them. Xbox needs a price drop to $300, unbundle Kinect, and a TON of good exclusive games.

Head Blackman

how can a sony fanbot tell a company that they have no interest in what so ever, give advise??? THEY CANT! who takes advise from the enemy?

Xtreme Derp

LOL is this kid serious?

Reality slap

X1 is a great console and I think it’s better than PS4 but if you want to win the sales race drop the price and go heavy on the games.